I
want to thank everyone who submitted things for our newsletter. If yours
didn’t get into this issue of the newsletter look for it in the next one. We
still need more things submitted for the next newsletter so please send them
in to the address in the Open Forum section of this newsletter.

I
have gotten a lot of good responses from people in the area about the
newsletter. You need to let your GSR know how you feel about the newsletter
and if you would like to see it continued. Remember that we only have
these two issues as a trial basis. At the next area meeting they will be
voting or rather to continue the newsletter, so be sure and get your opinion
to your GSR.

MEMBER'S VOICE
on Violence in Meetings

The group has the
responsibility to take the
appropriate action to
maintain an atmosphere of
recovery in the meeting.

This is in
response to a concern about how we (NA World Services) answers questions of
violence at meetings, we strongly agree that it is very important for NA to
be available to all addicts seeking recovery. Following is our typical
response we offer when asked about the issue:

Regarding
the issue of violence and threats of violence, we offer this perspective: an
individual’s personal anonymity must be balanced with the welfare of the
group. That is to say, if a member is violent or threatening violence, the
welfare of the group is the primary consideration, and the group has the
responsibility of maintaining a safe meeting place. If a member’s safety is
threatened, the group must make the decision to (or not to) call the police,
but the result of that decision rests with the individual acting or
threatening to act violently, not the group.

But it may
be possible to defuse the situation before it comes to that. The suggestion
that we have is for two or three of the mature group members to meet with
the disruptive individual on their way into the meeting each time. These
members can help the individual understand what is being asked of him, and
that violent behavior is not acceptable. This will need to be done in a
loving, caring way, tempering honesty with compassion and understanding, a
challenge for sure. They can explain that the NA meeting is for all people
who want to stop using drugs and that everyone attending the meeting has a
right not to be threatened or distracted from the atmosphere of recovery. It
usually is not successful to ask the person this once or twice, but if a
group continues to do this before each meeting, there is a better chance
that the disruptive person will respect the needs of those attending the
meeting. If this approach fails, the police can be called. Again, calling
law enforcement is not inappropriate when personal safety is at stake.

Steve
Rusch – Fellowship Services Team Leader – NA World Services

If you
want what we have – do what we do

By
following the lead of old timers, you can learn to be one, if you can allow
yourself to become teachable.

Here’s one
example. “Old timers” attend business meetings regularly and vote that we
eliminate smoke breaks from meetings. Next month, Newcomers decide to
attend JUST to vote it back in. Let me say that again – old timers vote it
out, newcomers vote it back in. Can you read between the lines there? Just
in case not, I’ll explain. Follow the lead of people trying to show you how
to get some clean time. People with significant clean time are attempting
to show newer members how to resist cravings, an hour at a time, 5 minutes
at a time. But newcomers ALWAYS know better and think smoke breaks are
necessary. We have a name for this – it’s called self-will run riot. We
come here not having a clue how to do life, yet we tell the people that do,
that we know better than them how meetings should run. I’ve seen this
happen over and over again in the course of my recovery. Here we are in a
room, learning how to resist our obsessive compulsions, and we choose to
stop, break the continuity of our recovery meetings, to go out and practice
our addictions. (Many old timers also smoke by the way…yet are able to
resist urges for an hour or so). We don’t lock the door - you’re free to go
out and smoke at any time, so why make people who want to resist cravings
stop to indulge YOUR addiction, at the cost of a quality meeting with
continuity. You want more fellowshipping time? Come early and stay late.
I can’t even begin to count the newcomers who bailed at smoke break, never
to return. Many many times, there will be 20 people in the meeting at the
start, and only 6 or 8 after the break. Had they stayed another 30 minutes
they just may have heard what they needed to save their lives. I think they
left 5 minutes before the miracle happened. This is not fulfilling our
primary purpose.

“We’re not
interested in what you have done in the past…ONLY in what you want to do
about your problem and how we can help.” The past includes today and
yesterday’s drama; Recovery includes today and yesterdays solutions, which
lead us into how to live tomorrow. Experience, strength and hope,
experience is only a small part of how we get to the strength and hope, the
important part. IF you don’t get there, you WILL repeat the (bad)
experiences. Keep doing what you’re doing you will keep getting what you
are getting. If you MUST talk about the experience, please keep it short
and move directly into what you want to do about it and how we can help. We
all know how to use and run unmanageable lives; we don’t need any more
examples or stories about that.

Atmosphere
of recovery?

Some of our
meetings have been a mess lately. Our personal recovery depends upon NA
unity. We come here with a disease as serious as a heart attack. It is
important that we are not grim faced white knuckled serious people, yet an
atmosphere of recovery must prevail in our meetings. We come here to save
our lives, not to play games, play grab ass, chit chat, cross talk, gossip,
get laid, tell war stories, and point out the differences. When you do
this, it sets the example to others and more do it. Sometimes we have the
inmates running the asylum here, and the atmosphere of recovery
deteriorates. Newcomers leave, old-timers leave, and that is sad. Saving
our lives is not a game, and this is not just a “new playground”. As
members of Narcotics Anonymous, we have a responsibility to newcomers to
show them a new way of life. We come here in Unity, sharing a common bond.
We don’t know how to live life and enjoy it, yet our actions often alienate
the very people capable of showing us how to do so. If you can’t engage in
appropriate behavior, and help us to fulfill our primary purpose, please
come back when you’re willing to learn.

I’m
saddened, no ashamed that many old timers no longer come around our
meetings. Many go elsewhere seeking recovery. This program gave them their
wonderful lives, yet they are not here to share it. Why? I’ve been told
that NA meetings are too “dysfunctional”. I am here to tell you that it
works just fine, but we have strength in numbers. And I can also tell you
that those disruptive members who are here only to take don’t stay. Only
about 10% of the people who walk in the doors stay. Which ones? Well,

We ONLY
keep what we have by giving it away, if that gives you a clue. Do you
contribute to the atmosphere of recovery?

If you’re
chairing a meeting, Please try to “steer” the meeting and keep the focus on
recovery. This includes telling people when they have gone on too long, and
bringing the topic back to recovery when it drifts. Uncomfortable, yes,
vital, yes, if we want to stay. Remember this; part of sharing is sharing
time. Try to monitor yourself as to when your 5 minutes is up.

Do you
choose to be part of the solution, or part of the problem? Are you carrying
the message or spreading the disease? War stories are the disease, talking
about your problem and how we can help takes us to the solution.

“You have
to learn to Listen, cuz you have to Listen to Learn”. We have a step study
meeting, with the intent of helping one another understand and work steps.
Do you share about the steps, or about daily drama? In the step study
meeting, if you don’t know anything about the step, just ask. You’ll
certainly find someone who has been where you are and will help you to the
solution. If you have nothing to share about the step or steps, learn to
listen. I know when I am talking I am not learning. Yet I know I have to
share what I have, so I can keep it. Sometimes there isn’t a lot of time to
do that if the meeting time is wasted listening to drama. There’s a time to
take the cotton out of your ears and put it in your mouth. If you can’t
talk about the steps, this would be one of those times. You most likely
WILL hear things that will help you live your recovery.

I love this
program and am dedicated to never turning my back on the program that saved
my life. I have a very strong desire for quality recovery meetings. I
never want to have the crap that goes on in our meetings drive me or anyone
else out of the rooms. Follow the lead of old timers; you just may turn
into one. The problem is Me, the Solution is WE. You can be part of the
solution. Please help us to fulfill our primary purpose so our beloved
program thrives.

This poem
is about my mother. A mother I have lost to the disease of addiction. It is
one of the reasons I am in recovery. I have 2 years clean and hope someday
my mother will too. Nothing more in life hurts me than what this poem tells
of. To every mother, recovering; and trying to recover Thank you. There is
one thing that you can be extremely proud of. No child should have to
live with addicted parents. Even walking into a meeting of Narcotics
Anonymous shows love for your child (ren). Thank you for doing what my
mother hasn’t.

Ode to an Addict

I can’t
take it
Feeling
this beat inside my head
It will
soon explode and I will be dead
But you
don’t care
You aren’t
here
What did
you do?
Why did
you do it?
I love you
more than life itself
No one
else was there for me
Where were
you?
Where are
you now?
When I
need you most of all
I know if
you don’t catch me now
I will
fall
Please
come back

Hold me
Love me
Like you
never did
Love me
like you should
I can no
more live to hope
I know
you’ll never be with me
You have
something better
Something
evil and distraught
Something
that kills for sport
I tried to
warn you earlier
You stood
there crying
Like you
knew
It’s true
It’s
trapped you in its deadly prison
You’re
there
And there
you’ll stay
Evermore
Lost
In your
own insanity

Lora P

The Garden

So,
you deserve a better way of life? Try planting this simple garden. To get
started all you need is willingness to follow some suggestions and expend a
little effort. If you need assistance; plenty of help is available.

There
is no need to purchase fertilizer as we each have our own supply of BS

Literature is available to answer your questions and help you learn about
tools you will need (all tools needed to work in your garden are freely
available.).

If you
are not familiar with how to use a tool, just ask any experienced gardener
(they will be happy to share their knowledge).

A
final point before breaking ground (also known as plowing in and turning it
over): For the health and safety of all gardeners everything in the garden
is organic. No Pesticides (chemicals or other artificial substances)
allowed!

Begin
your garden by sowing five rows of P’s…

·Patience

·Persistence

·Perseverance

·Prayer

·Peacefulness

Then Plant four rows of
squash…

·Squash
indifference

·Squash ego

·Squash
intolerance

·Squash
injustice

Follow this with five rows
of lettuce…

·Let us be
honest

·Let us be
open-minded

·Let us be
courteous

·Let us be
unselfish

·Let us be
humble

Finally lay out three rows
of turnips…

·Turn up at
meetings

·Turn up for
service work

·Turn up with
a smile

If you are working hard,
and not looking, you will often be followed by the Master Gardener (also
known as H.P., God, etc.) sowing seeds of Fellowship and Harmony (resulting
in a harvest of friends and serenity) as a bonus for your efforts.

Please remember to take
care of your tools and keep them close at hand (your never know when you may
need them). Also remember that all growing things need time to mature.
Lovingly tend the garden daily and have faith that the Master will
bountifully bless your works.

If you have questions that
can’t be answered by your fellow garners; the Master operates a 24-hour,
toll-free hotline… Just call 1-877-ADDICTS.

Happy Gardening!

- Anonymous
-

My name is
Michael T and I’m a recovering addict in Lincoln
County. I live on the Oregon coast in a small town called Newport.
The reason
why I’m writing this letter to tell you what NA is doing for me. It has
given me another chance of life with out the use of drugs and things that I
never thought I could have.
See I got
into service work right from the beginning of my recovery and it made me be
apart of the new way of life, and new friends.
But most
of all I made a commitment to change. To day I have a higher power in my
life also, because I can’t do it alone. I attend 2 to 3 meetings per week
and I’m the secretary of the Wednesday @ noon
to
1:00 p.m., it’s a small group. It is called Principles Before Personalities.
But most
of all I keep the doors opened for the addict who still suffers, because you
can only keep what you have by giving it away, and remember we as recovering
addicts don’t have to use…. One other thing I made to 4 years clean with a
lot of one day at a time.
Thank you
NA for showing me how to live clean. Yours truly, Michael T

All she wanted was love.
Then she lost hope.
Her heart full of NA.
Her head full of dope.

I told her I loved her
It wasn’t enough.
She took herself out
Cuz life got too tough.

I hate this disease
It takes and it kills.
A pipe or a shot,
A handful of pills.

You told me to stay
Didn’t know if I could.
Just for today, then
I promised I would.

I keep coming back
In spite of the pain.
This too shall pass
It’s just part of the game.

Remember those that go
Make sure it’s not you.
Just keep coming back
I know I will, too.

WHAT'S GOING ON???

Canal
Creek Campout & Fish Fry
is being held August 6, 7, & 8, 2004, at Canal Creek Campground seven miles
east of Walport. There are flyers at all of the meetings and there will be
more information in our next newsletter. This is a fun campout and
registration includes dinner Saturday night and breakfast Sunday.

Triangle
Lake Campout
is being held August 27, 28, & 29, 2004, at Triangle Lake Campground
southwest of Eugene. This is the second year we have had this campout. This
is the end of summer campout nothing fancy but you do get dinner Saturday
night.

The Philomath,
Serenity Well
meeting has a potluck the second Wednesday, of every month. It starts at
6:30 p.m. with the meeting starting at 7:00 p.m.

The Siletz,
Freedom Group
has a potluck the last Tuesday, of every month. It starts at 6:30 p.m. with
the meeting starting at 7:30 p.m.

The Siletz,
The Only Requirement For Membership
meeting has a Speaker meeting the last Saturday of every month.

The From There
To Here
meeting has a Speaker meeting the last Sunday of every month.